Band Excitation Method Applicable to Scanning Probe Microscopy

• US 20150293144A1
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Jesse, Stephen, Kalinin, Sergei V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,535,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 35/00 Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 10/06 Circuits or algorithms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 20/00 Monitoring the movement or position of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 30/04 Display or data processing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/32 AC mode

Abstract

Scanning probe microscopy may include a method for generating a band excitation (BE) signal and simultaneously exciting a probe at a plurality of frequencies within a predetermined frequency band based on the excitation signal. A response of the probe is measured across a subset of frequencies of the predetermined frequency band and the excitation signal is adjusted based on the measured response.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating an excitation signal;

simultaneously exciting a probe at a plurality of frequencies within a predetermined frequency band based on the excitation signal;

scanning a sample held in an apparatus to measure a response of the probe across a subset of frequencies of the predetermined frequency band; and

separately extracting, by a processor of a relevant dynamic parameter extractor, resonant frequency, maximum amplitude, and Q factor parameters associated with each position crossed during the scan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a mathematical transform on the measured response of the probe and outputting an amplitude-frequency data and phase-frequency data at each scanned position of the sample.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mathematical function is selected from the group consisting of an integral transform and a discrete transform.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the relevant dynamic parameter extractor extracts the resonant frequency, the maximum amplitude, and the Q factor parameters for each position of the sample based on an analysis of the amplitude frequency data and the phase-frequency data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant dynamic parameter extractor extracts the resonant frequency, the maximum amplitude, and the Q factor parameters independently for each position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of frequencies of the predetermined frequency band includes a selected frequency and associated resonance frequencies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of frequencies is substantially the same as the predetermined frequency band.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the excitation signal includes a controlled amplitude and phase density within the predetermined frequency band.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the excitation signal based on the extracted resonant frequency, maximum amplitude, and Q factor parameters.